Conservation and Innovation : Helmholtz's Struggle with Energy ...

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The widespread lack of discussion in the contemporary secondary literature of the great works on the history and meaning of the principle of conservation of energy written at the turn of the century seems an (intentionally) missed opportunity 515. Detailed analysis of the works of all the "pioneers" mentioned so far appear in these "classic" works, often the clarification of the problems at issue is very sharp and the different meanings of principles, models, mathematical tools, experimental techniques are precisely outlined. This lack of discussion entails also the problem of the originality of the modern interpretations. In fact, always taking Kuhn's paper as an "exemplar", it is possible to trace back some main themes of his analysis: the refusal of the priority approach to Merz 516 and Haas 517, the relevance of the conversion processes, of the concern with engines and the related importance of the "work" concept to Helm 518, Merz 519 and Haas 520; and the "influence" of Naturphilosophie again to Haas 521. Given that the mentioned 'classic' works deal with more 'actors' and in greater detail than what Kuhn does, I am inclined to think that in Kuhn's paper the selection presented and the way in which it is presented depends on the particular problem chosen: to explain the origins of the "simultaneous discovery". An alternative starting point is then needed. How is Helmholtz's paper framed by other historians? The problem of Kantian influences has been taken up by Heimann, with an analysis centred on Helmholtz's justification of the central 515 Kuhn in fact quotes Helm, Haas and Mertz, and Planck's 1887 treatise is discussed by Hiebert in: Hiebert, Erwin. The Conception of Thermodynamics in the Scientific Thought of Mach and Planck. Freiburg i. Br.: Ernst Mach Institut der Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Forderung der angewandten Forschung, 1968. (E.Mach Inst. Bericht Nr. 5/68). Elkana avoids discussing Planck's treatise simply asserting that: "his (Planck's 1887) insights and explanations are far beyond any methodological school." see: Elkana A case of? P.31. 516 Merz, John. A History of European Thought In The Nineteenth Century. 2 vols.Edinburgh and London: Blackwood, 1903. Vol2 p.98. 517 Haas Entwickl . P.98. 518 Helm Energetik Pp.7-34. 519 Merz European vol 2 Pp.100-1 and 104-11. 520 Haas Entwickl.. Pp. 63-92. 521 Ibid Pp.35-45..
force principle 522. Elkana tried to show 523 that Helmholtz was the "true" discoverer of energy conservation, but centres his attempt on the 1847 paper and fails to see, among other problems 524, all the later reformulations of the principle. Cantor points at the difficulties of framing Helmholtz 525, but I think that Winters offers a good contribution in analysing Helmholtz's Erhaltung in comparison with his later works on energy 526 . Necessary I believe is also to discuss the use and modifications of the principle in the debates of the following decades 527. ___________________________________ From such an enlarged point of view, the whole problem of "simultaneity" and of "discovery" of "energy conservation" should be abandoned. What Helmholtz really did in his Erhaltung was to lay the foundations of theoretical physics, through the conscious interplay of conceptual models, regulative principles, mathematical techniques and experimental results. The whole interplay was based on an explicit methodology and was meant to have the greatest generality of possible applications. From then on in physics the theory-experiment interplay was joined and often overcome by the theory-principle one. From the point of view of Helmholtz's approach, the other contributions can be seen as less sophisticated and less conscious, but not less interesting, approaches. At the end of the century the great debates of the "now mighty theoretical physics" 528 show the progress achieved: the mechanic, energetic, thermodynamic and electromagnetic views of nature are the frameworks within which basic studies on the history of energy conservation were written. I believe that contemporary history of energy studies can be enhanced if the problem is seen in terms of the 522 Heimann, Peter. "Helmholtz and Kant: The Metaphysical Foundations of 'Über die Erhaltung der Kraft' ." In SHPS 5 (1974) : 205-38; P.208 n.13, and P.223. 523 Elkana, Yehuda. "The Conservation of Energy: A case of Simultaneous Discovery?" In Arch Int Hist Sci 24 (1970): 31-60.; "Helmholtz's 'Kraft': An Illustration of Concepts in Flux". In HSPS 2 (1970): 263-98; The Discovery 524 see: Clark, Peter. "Elkana on Helmholtz and the Conservation of Energy." In BJPS 27 (1976): 165-176. 525 Cantor Locating 526 Winters, Stephen. "Hermann von Helmholtz's Discovery of Force Conservation." Dissertation. The John Hopkins University, 1985. 527 see my Energy and Electr Pp.59-74 and 110-21. 528 C.Jungnickel,R.McCormmach, Intellectual Mastery of Nature , 2 vols, Chicago: Chicago U.P., 1986. 2nd vol.
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Fabio Bevilacqua Conservation and I
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different formulations 4 and priori
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and interesting results, despite th
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principle of correlation is express
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principle to the existing empirical
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the origin and meaning of the princ
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Whether physiological research, apa
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In a discussion on the origins of a
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his "Wärme" that one of the differ
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generate a determined equivalent of
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"Bericht", despite the application
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experiments in the most disparate b
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The premise reveals that the struct
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intelligible if it can be referred
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elevant consequence of the deductio
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Needless to say the plan was to be
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and from here that the direction an
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since Leonardo 113; the "ad nihilum
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But unfortunately for the whole str
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The principle of conservation of vi
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different from the one joining the
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"The equality that exists between e
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In virtue of its limitations to New
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Helmholtz, while asserting that lig
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the temperature of 1 Kg of water ca
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In his search for a mechanical equi
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had already been achieved in the Be
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approach is discussed at length and
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and unaware of Green's results190,
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potential function 201. It is worth
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and judged unreliable, despite prov
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The relevance of the first question
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principle taking this potential int
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Finally we get to the real conclusi
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conservation 234, on the theory of
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for the mechanical equivalent of he
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The controversy started with some r
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where μ are immovable masses, m th
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demonstration criticised by Clausiu
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directions that join them and whose
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quotes 288 and criticises a proposi
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motion to all natural forces, the k
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measure this expenditure and compar
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" ...the quantity of force in natur
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